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(No Model.)

B. J. SHEEHY.

AUTOMATIC GUT-OUT FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Patented July 24, 1883.

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the following is a specification.

possibility of a person within the building acother or with some more or less perfectly-coning conflagrations in buildings in which elecperhaps fatal electric shock.

ing the main line complete and uninterrupted.

UNITED STATES PA'IEN'I OFFICE.

ROBERT J. snnnrrr, F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,799, dated July 4, 1883.

Application filed October 13, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT J. SHREHY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Cut-0uts for Electric Circuits, of which My invention relates to that class of electrical devices or appliances commonly denominated cut-outs or switches, especially such as are designed to be employed in connection with electric lighting or other circuits in which currents of high electro-motive force and great quantity are employed.

In establishing electric lights within dwellings, warehouses, factories, and other structures for illuminating purposes, it has been found impracticable to so arrange and connect the conductors as to absolutely preclude the cidentally coming into contact with both wires simultaneously, or with one of the wires and a conductor connected with the earth, and thereby receiving a severe and even dangerous electric shock. 'Moreover, secondary or false arcs are sometimes established by the accidental contact of the conductors with each ducting medium. Especially are firemen exposed to danger while engaged in extinguishtric lights are employed, for the reason that the insulating material with which the conductors are protected becomes melted by the heat, and the conductors themselves are liable to become severed. In such cases an accidental contact with the heavily-charged conductors, or with a detached end of one of the conductors, exposes the firemen to the liability of receiving through his body a severe and The firemen are consequently greatly impeded in the prosecution of their work by exposure to this additional danger.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient automatic device whereby the lo p-circuit, in which is included either an electric light, rheostat, or other device, may be introduced into the main circuit or absolutely disconnected therefrom, at the same time leav- My invention may be in general described as a cut-out or switch mechanism automatically operated by a predetermined increase in the strength of the current traversing the main line of conductors, such augmented current developing a corresponding increase in the electromagnetism, which acts in such manner as to cause the step-by-step advancement of a non-conducting drum or cylinder. The metall ic strips or bridge-pieces employed to make the desired connections between the electrodes of the main line and loop-circuit are affixed to this cylinder. The electrodes may be thus united through the said strips or bridges by the rotation of the drum in the manner re quired. Thus the parts are preferably so ar ranged that atevery alternate step the loop is withdrawn entirely from the main line, the

latter being completed through one of said metallic bridges. At the intermediate positions of the drum the arrangement of circuits is so changed as to include the loop in the main line. If when the loop-circuit is disconnected it is desired to reconnect it, it is only necessary to advance the drum through the distance of one step. To withdraw said loop thereafter the drum must be again revolved through a second step. The advance movement of the drum is efi'ected by an increase in the electro-magnetism which is developed whenever the main current exceeds a predetermined strength. The abnormal current develops sufficient magnetic force to propel its armature through a distance which will effect the winding of a spring during its progressive movement and the liberation of the said spring at a point near the close of said movement, so as to transmit the power of said spring to the drum, thereby causing the latter to turn through a predetermined fraction of its revolution. The retrograde movement of said armature restores the mechanism to a position in which it is prepared to effect a second step movement.

In conjunction with the above-described cutout mechanism I may employ a two -point switch, which in one position will introduce the electro-magnet into the main line and in the other position will cause it to be withdrawn. In this manner, by merely directing the current through the agency of the two point switch, the step-by-step movement of the drum and the consequent introduction and with drawal of the loop into and from the main-line circuit may be effected with precision.

My invention is set forth in the accompany ing drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 an elevation, of my improved eut-0ut.

To parts appearing in both figures I have applied similar reference-letters in each.

A is a drum or cylinder of suitable non-conducting material, preferably compressed paper-pulp, mounted upon a shaft, B, turning in bearings at G and D. This drum is provided with four longitudinal metallic strips or bridgepieces, E E E E, arranged parallel to its axis and placed at equal apart intervals upon its convex surface. The upper face or end of said drum is also provided with the cross-shaped bridgepieee F, the arms of which extend over the edges of the face and project downward, 1

The electrodes, which are to be united by means of the bridgepieces, are shown at G G G i. Each consists of a metallic spring, one end of which is rigidly connected to a bindingpost, as at H, for uniting itto the conductor of the circuit of which it forms an electrode, while its other end is free to press against the metallic bridge-pieces upon the convex surface of the drum A.

The arrangement of the circuits is as follows: It the two-point switch be used, the cur- .rent, entering by the binding-post 1, will pass by said switch 2, c0ntactbutton 3, (if the switch is placed as shown in the figure,) con ductor l, electrode 5, bridge E, electrode 6, loop-circuit 7, electrode 8, bridge E, electrode 9, and maiirline circuit 10. Thus both line and loop are included in a continuous circuit. It, now, it be desired to withdraw the loop from the circuit, the switch 2 is turned upon the binding-post 11, and the current passes, by conductor 12, coils of eleetro-magnet J, and conductor 13, to the electrode 5, and thereafter by the course already traced. This immediately actuates the electro-magnet J and withdraws the loop by causing the drum to advance through one-eighth of a complete revolution, in the manner to be hereinafter described. The switch is then replaced. To reintroduce said loop it is only necessary to repeat this movement of the switch, whereupon the electro-magnet J will be again magnetized and the drum again turned in the same manner.

It is not essential that a manually-operated switch-such as shown in the figureshould be employed in all cases. A clock-work mcch-' anism or time-train for actuating a two-point switch at any predetermined time may be sub stituted, or said switch may be operated by elcctro-magnetism transmitted through a second circuit.

The shalt l3 also carries a ratchet-wheel, K, mounted loosely thereupon, with the teeth of which a dog, I, engages, the latter being held in position by a spring, L, and both being carried by a lever, M, pivoted to the frame-work of the instrument at N, and connected by a link, 0, to the axial armature-core 1 of the solenoid or electro-magnet J. The several parts of this system are so proportioned that under the influence of a current exceeding a predetermined maximum or normal strength the augmented attraction ofthe electro-magnet J will cause the movement of the armaturecore a sufficient distance to move the ratchet wheel K through a determinate fraction of one complete 1ev0lutionas, for example, one eighthas shown in the figure. This movement effects the winding of the spring Q, the ends of which are respectively attached to the ratchet-wheels K and K, and at the end of the stroke contact is made with the pin It, carried by the escapement S, whereby said escapement is released from the teeth of another ratchet-wheel, K loosely carried by and rigidly attached to said shaft or to the upper face of the drum, thereby communicating the p owcr of said spring to the drum, and causing the advance of the latter through the same angular distance. The retrograde movement of the lever M is again utilized at the end of its d0wnward movement to return the escapement mechanism to the position necessary for repeating the operation, as hereinbefore described. A too rapid motion of the drum is prevented in the usual manner by the action of the pallets of the escapement.

In place of the usual electro-magnet, I prefer to employ the system shown in Fig. 1, in which a check-piece, T, provided with a feedlink, U, serves to connect the movable core 1 with a separate portion of the core of the elec tro-magnet J, which is stationary and contained within the coils. The sensitiveness of the magnet is materially increased by this arrangem'ent.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1.- The combination, substantiziilly as here inbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, a tem of circuitclosing devices, a spring first wound up by the action of said. electro-mag net, and subsequently liberated by the action of said electro-magnet, to cause the actuation of said system of circuit-closing devices.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a drum carrying a tem of circuit-closing bridges, a spring, an electro-magnet which, as its strength increases, winds up said spring, and which, when said strength exceeds a predetermined degree, actuates mechanism to release said spring, to expend its energy in revolving said drum.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a drum, circuit;closing bridges upon the convex exterior surface thereof, and bridges upon one of the transverse faces thereof, extending also upon said convex. .surface.

4. The combination, substantially as here- IIO inbefore set forth, of a revolving drum provided with circuit-closing or circuit-connecting bridges, a spring for causing the advance of said drum, mechanism actuated by electromagnetism for causing the winding of said spring, and an escapement mechanism for controlling the operation of said spring.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a main circuit, a loopcircuit, metallic electrodes for each of said circuits, a drum capable of being revolved step by step in one direction, and metallic bridges upon said drum, which, by engaging with said electrodes, introduce said loop into said main circuit with each alternate step movement of said drum. v

6. The combination, substantially as here- ROBERT J. SHEEHY. \Vitnesses:

DANIEL W. EDGECOMB, MILLER G. EARL. 

